BILL ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 1479
By: Hilderbran (Barrientos)
Finance
5-16-95
Senate Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND
Four years ago, a rider to the appropriations bill allowed Texas
high school students who completed their graduation requirements in
three years to receive a tuition and fee waiver at an institution
of higher education and forgo their fourth year in high school.
This provision expired two years ago.
PURPOSE
As proposed, C.S.H.B. 1479 provides a tuition and fee waiver at
institutions of higher education for certain Texas high school
students.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is granted
to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under SECTION 2
(Sec. 56.209(a), Education Code) of this bill.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 54D, Education Code, by adding Sections
54.212, 54.213, and 54.214, as follows:
Sec. 54.212. ONE-YEAR EXEMPTION FOR CERTAIN AFDC STUDENTS.
Exempts a certain student from the payment of tuition and fees
for the first academic year in which the student enrolls at an
institution of higher education (institution) if the student
meets certain criteria.
Sec. 54.213. FUNDING EXEMPTIONS. (a) Authorizes an
institution to fund tuition exemptions under Section 54.212 or
54.213 from local funds or from funds appropriated to the
institution. Provides that an institution is not required to
provide tuition exemptions beyond those funded through
appropriations specifically designated for this purpose.
(b) Requires savings to the foundation school fund that
occur as a result of the Early High School Graduation
Scholarship program (program) created in Chapter 56K, and
that are not required for the funding of state tuition
credits under that program to be used to provide tuition
exemptions under Section 54.212. Requires payment of funds
under this subsection to be made in the manner provided by
Section 56.207 for tuition credits under Chapter 56K.
SECTION 2. Amends Chapter 56, Education Code, by adding Subchapter
K, as follows:
SUBCHAPTER K. EARLY HIGH SCHOOL
GRADUATION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Sec. 56.201. PROGRAM NAME. Sets forth the name of the
program.
Sec. 56.202. PURPOSE. (a) Sets forth reasons for the
creation of the program.
(b) Dedicates a portion of the savings to the Foundation
School Program that occur as a result of the program to
state tuition credits provided by the program.
Sec. 56.203. ELIGIBLE PERSON. Sets forth criteria for a
person to be eligible for the program.
Sec. 56.204. ENTITLEMENT; MATCHING CREDIT. (a) Entitles an
eligible person under the program to $1,000 in state tuition
credits at a Texas public or private institution of higher
education.
(b) Provides that the use of a credit at a Texas private
institution is contingent on a private institution's
agreement to match the state tuition credit.
(c) Provides that a person eligible for a tuition credit
under the tuition credit program authorized by law, who did
not receive a credit under that program is eligible for and
entitled to $1,000 in state tuition credits under this
subchapter. Provides that this subsection expires September
1, 2005.
Sec. 56.205. ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATE. Requires the Texas
Higher Education Coordinating Board (coordinating board) to
provide a certificate for state tuition credits to an eligible
person.
Sec. 56.206. USE OF TUITION CREDIT. (a) Requires the
institution to apply to the person's tuition charges for the
enrollment period a certain amount on enrollment of an
eligible person in an eligible institution.
(b) Requires a private institution to apply the state
tuition credit and the matching credit required by Section
56.204(b) in equal amounts.
(c) Requires the institution to report certain information
to the coordinating board.
Sec. 56.207. PAYMENT OF TUITION CREDIT. (a) Requires the
coordinating board to distribute to the institution the amount
of the state tuition credit applied by the institution.
(b) Requires the coordinating board to submit a report that
includes certain information to the commissioner of
education (commissioner) at least once each year.
(c) Requires the commissioner to transfer to the
coordinating board, from funds appropriated for the
Foundation School Program, an amount sufficient to reimburse
the coordinating board for amounts disbursed in payment of
state tuition credits during the period covered by the
report.
Sec. 56.208. FUNDING. (a) Provides that the program is
financed under the Foundation School Program. Provides that
funding for the state tuition credits is not subject to the
provisions of Sections 16.254(e)-(k).
(b) Requires the commissioner to reduce the total annual
amount of foundation school fund payments made to a school
district by a certain amount.
(c) Requires a school district that does not receive
foundation school fund payments during a year in which the
commissioner would otherwise withhold money from the
district under Subsection (b) to remit an amount equal to
the amount that would be withheld under Subsection (b) to
the comptroller for deposit to the credit of the foundation
school fund.
(d) Requires the commissioner and the foundation school
fund budget committee to consider the costs of the program
in estimating the funds needed for program purposes.
Sec. 56.209. ADOPTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF RULES. (a)
Requires the coordinating board to adopt rules to administer
this subchapter.
(b) Requires the coordinating board to distribute copies of
all rules adopted under this subchapter to each eligible
institution and to each school district.
SECTION 3. Provides that this Act applies beginning with tuition
and fees collected for the 1995 fall semester.
SECTION 4. Emergency clause.
Effective date: upon passage.